Room of the Day: Living Room Refresh Adds Style and Functionality
A Seattle midcentury modern space lightens up, opens up and gains zones for entertaining and reading
This living room in a 61-year-old condo had good bones, but its finishes were dark and dated. And the room’s layout limited how the space could be used. Honoring the home’s midcentury modern roots, SkB Architects gave the living room an overhaul and a better connection to the adjacent dining and outdoor spaces.
BEFORE: The living room appeared dark because it didn’t have any overhead lighting. Its wood floors had an orange tone, and the change to slate tile flooring in the adjacent dining area contributed to a disjointed articulation between the spaces.
At the far end of the living room, the TV engulfed a sizable portion of the wall. Space between it and the seating area also was underutilized.
At the far end of the living room, the TV engulfed a sizable portion of the wall. Space between it and the seating area also was underutilized.
AFTER: The existing structural fir wood beams had been stained dark. Hand-sanding them removed the reddish tint and returned them to a lighter, more natural color.
The existing 6-inch-wide clear cedar ceiling boards are original too. “We pulled the original boards down to run wiring for lighting and then reinstalled each board back in its original place, because the boards were scribed and cut within the fir beams. Where we needed new, we stained clear cedar to match the existing color and finish,” architect Kyle Gaffney says. Now they look more consistent and refined.
Punching through the solid wall between the living room and hallway behind created a rhythm of positive and negative forms to help connect the two areas. The swanky screens inserted into the two openings are prefabricated aluminum fencing panels used cleverly, not custom-made screens. Ribbon-like patterning on the panels nods at midcentury modern design.
The fireplace is double-sided to the terrace and was changed from wood-burning to gas for ease of use and to eliminate the need to haul wood up flights of stairs to the condo, Gaffney says. Other than the fireplace’s new inner workings, its original appearance remains intact.
The existing 6-inch-wide clear cedar ceiling boards are original too. “We pulled the original boards down to run wiring for lighting and then reinstalled each board back in its original place, because the boards were scribed and cut within the fir beams. Where we needed new, we stained clear cedar to match the existing color and finish,” architect Kyle Gaffney says. Now they look more consistent and refined.
Punching through the solid wall between the living room and hallway behind created a rhythm of positive and negative forms to help connect the two areas. The swanky screens inserted into the two openings are prefabricated aluminum fencing panels used cleverly, not custom-made screens. Ribbon-like patterning on the panels nods at midcentury modern design.
The fireplace is double-sided to the terrace and was changed from wood-burning to gas for ease of use and to eliminate the need to haul wood up flights of stairs to the condo, Gaffney says. Other than the fireplace’s new inner workings, its original appearance remains intact.
One goal was to avoid making the TV the primary visual focus of the design or the driver of the layout. The main seating area remains where it previously was situated, but the far end has become a library and media area.
A new floor-to-ceiling white oak built-in designed by SkB Architects packs a lot of function on this short wall. It houses a library, audio equipment, media storage and a TV. Two pitted-steel sliding bookshelves, seen here each displaying a large book, cover the TV when it’s not in use. Slim horizontal niches between the shelves are open to the wall and illuminated with LED lighting for contrast against the cabinet’s dark stain. The bottom drawers are for storage, and the large, open component seen on the bottom left of the cabinet accommodates oversized books.
The architects also designed and custom-built the stunning coffee and end tables.
A glass wall with sliding doors existed in the original space, but was upgraded in the renovation. Previously white, the window mullions are all now steel-clad and match the dark finish of the new sliding doors, as well as the custom-made cold-rolled-steel drapery rod. Upgraded UV-coated glass protects the interior finishes so light can more safely filter in through the loose-weave drapery panels.
Although the palette is primarily neutral, bits of color and pattern have been introduced through the furnishings and books on the bookshelf. The most vibrant are the fabric poufs, covered in retro-inspired fabrics. Brown mohair on the sofa catches the light with its nap. The area rug is made of punched wool felt in alternating bands of white and gray.
Area rug: Satura from Ruckstuhl; sofa: Bright; Donut pouf: Sushi collection, Moroso; circular side table: Jonathan Adler; black chair: Eames by Herman Miller; drapery fabric: Knoll
A new floor-to-ceiling white oak built-in designed by SkB Architects packs a lot of function on this short wall. It houses a library, audio equipment, media storage and a TV. Two pitted-steel sliding bookshelves, seen here each displaying a large book, cover the TV when it’s not in use. Slim horizontal niches between the shelves are open to the wall and illuminated with LED lighting for contrast against the cabinet’s dark stain. The bottom drawers are for storage, and the large, open component seen on the bottom left of the cabinet accommodates oversized books.
The architects also designed and custom-built the stunning coffee and end tables.
A glass wall with sliding doors existed in the original space, but was upgraded in the renovation. Previously white, the window mullions are all now steel-clad and match the dark finish of the new sliding doors, as well as the custom-made cold-rolled-steel drapery rod. Upgraded UV-coated glass protects the interior finishes so light can more safely filter in through the loose-weave drapery panels.
Although the palette is primarily neutral, bits of color and pattern have been introduced through the furnishings and books on the bookshelf. The most vibrant are the fabric poufs, covered in retro-inspired fabrics. Brown mohair on the sofa catches the light with its nap. The area rug is made of punched wool felt in alternating bands of white and gray.
Area rug: Satura from Ruckstuhl; sofa: Bright; Donut pouf: Sushi collection, Moroso; circular side table: Jonathan Adler; black chair: Eames by Herman Miller; drapery fabric: Knoll
A Hans Wegner Papa Bear chair and ottoman near the built-in create a cozy reading area. A hydronic spiral radiator can be seen behind the chair.
New Douglas fir flooring made in 12-inch-wide planks highlights the subtle grain and runs through to the dining-kitchen area. Its cool lye-and-white-soap finish is a refreshing counterbalance to the warm wood ceiling.
The new lighting design is a combination of track and surface-mounted lighting using halogen MR16 bulbs. Gaffney says they’re waiting until there are LED bulbs that can meet the project’s envisioned lighting and color temperature, then they’ll switch over. Here, track lighting washes the wall of built-ins.
Radiator: Form Flow, Runtal Radiators; flooring: Douglas fir in lye-and-white-soap finish, 12 inches wide and 1⅛ inches thick, Dinesen
New Douglas fir flooring made in 12-inch-wide planks highlights the subtle grain and runs through to the dining-kitchen area. Its cool lye-and-white-soap finish is a refreshing counterbalance to the warm wood ceiling.
The new lighting design is a combination of track and surface-mounted lighting using halogen MR16 bulbs. Gaffney says they’re waiting until there are LED bulbs that can meet the project’s envisioned lighting and color temperature, then they’ll switch over. Here, track lighting washes the wall of built-ins.
Radiator: Form Flow, Runtal Radiators; flooring: Douglas fir in lye-and-white-soap finish, 12 inches wide and 1⅛ inches thick, Dinesen
This floor plan shows the condo in its entirely, with the living room highlighted in yellow. The open space to the immediate right is the dining room and kitchen. A hallway leads up to the bedrooms and bathroom.
Contractor: Michael T. Shinn Construction
Casework: Bellan Construction
Browse more Rooms of the Day
Contractor: Michael T. Shinn Construction
Casework: Bellan Construction
Browse more Rooms of the Day
Living Room at a Glance
Location: Lower Queen Anne neighborhood of Seattle
Size: 375 square feet (34.8 square meters)
Designers: Kyle and Shannon Gaffney of SkB Architects
BEFORE: The cut-up layout and dark finishes of this midcentury Seattle condo weren’t showing off the clean lines of the home’s design. Aside from an aesthetic update, the room needed a more efficient and multifunctional living room for entertaining, reading and occasional TV viewing.
In addition to the living room overhaul, the project also included adding a new HVAC system and creating a better connection to the home’s open kitchen-dining area and exterior terrace.